WHERE to for Bafana Bafana?
The answer, without fear or prejudice, is nowhere for now.
The statement made by South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan that the federation needs an overhaul in the coming months should not be taken lightly.
What Bafana do not need is a knee-jerk reaction after the shock early exit from the African Nations Championship (Chan).
"I am fully aware that the national team needs urgent attention and we are dealing with the situation. If we want to build a winning team for the future we have to have efficient structures in place right from school level," Jordaan has said.
Many fear that this may have been another one of Safa's talkshops, especially because that has never been high on coach Gordon Igesund's list of priorities since taking over the team in July 2012.
Moeneeb Josephs, the goalkeeper who produced a horror display against the Super Eagles, was quick to back his coach after the humiliation on Sunday night.
"He's the most tactically astute coach I have ever worked with. He should be judged on what he has done for Bafana since he took over," the goalkeeper explained.
Igesund might tick all the boxes for some and will be added to the list of coaches who have taken over Bafana and failed. He is not "useless", to contradict Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula, but Igesund's mentality is wrong for the national team if there is to be progress.
During their camp in the Mother City, not once did Igesund stick his neck out and show a desire to blood in new talent in the team. That he thought Ajax Cape Town left-back Thato Mokeke was a "genuine 20-year-old" when he is in fact 24 in July sums up the coach's head space and ambitions for development.
Josephs' assessment of the man in the hot seat is right and wrong. To unearth a generation that should take Bafana to new heights, players like Siphiwe Tshabalala, Vuyo Mere, Thabo Nthethe and Matthew Pattison should be dropped. Any coach who thinks they still have much to offer Bafana should not be in the same room with Jordaan.
There were calls to axe Igesund hours after Bafana had crashed out of the Chan group stages by losing 3-1 to Nigeria.
Mbalula hinted that he had to talk Jordaan out of "taking drastic steps".
Reading between the lines, it is clear that the football federation's commander-in-chief has lost faith in the coach.
Igesund and his men should have done better in this competition given what they wanted, a competitive squad .
While it was fair to expect or even demand that Bafana win the Chan as hosts, perhaps reality has finally sunk in that the Premier Soccer League, lucrative as it is, is among the top 10 leagues in Africa.
What Bafana really need
WHERE to for Bafana Bafana?
The answer, without fear or prejudice, is nowhere for now.
The statement made by South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan that the federation needs an overhaul in the coming months should not be taken lightly.
What Bafana do not need is a knee-jerk reaction after the shock early exit from the African Nations Championship (Chan).
"I am fully aware that the national team needs urgent attention and we are dealing with the situation. If we want to build a winning team for the future we have to have efficient structures in place right from school level," Jordaan has said.
Many fear that this may have been another one of Safa's talkshops, especially because that has never been high on coach Gordon Igesund's list of priorities since taking over the team in July 2012.
Moeneeb Josephs, the goalkeeper who produced a horror display against the Super Eagles, was quick to back his coach after the humiliation on Sunday night.
"He's the most tactically astute coach I have ever worked with. He should be judged on what he has done for Bafana since he took over," the goalkeeper explained.
Igesund might tick all the boxes for some and will be added to the list of coaches who have taken over Bafana and failed. He is not "useless", to contradict Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula, but Igesund's mentality is wrong for the national team if there is to be progress.
During their camp in the Mother City, not once did Igesund stick his neck out and show a desire to blood in new talent in the team. That he thought Ajax Cape Town left-back Thato Mokeke was a "genuine 20-year-old" when he is in fact 24 in July sums up the coach's head space and ambitions for development.
Josephs' assessment of the man in the hot seat is right and wrong. To unearth a generation that should take Bafana to new heights, players like Siphiwe Tshabalala, Vuyo Mere, Thabo Nthethe and Matthew Pattison should be dropped. Any coach who thinks they still have much to offer Bafana should not be in the same room with Jordaan.
There were calls to axe Igesund hours after Bafana had crashed out of the Chan group stages by losing 3-1 to Nigeria.
Mbalula hinted that he had to talk Jordaan out of "taking drastic steps".
Reading between the lines, it is clear that the football federation's commander-in-chief has lost faith in the coach.
Igesund and his men should have done better in this competition given what they wanted, a competitive squad .
While it was fair to expect or even demand that Bafana win the Chan as hosts, perhaps reality has finally sunk in that the Premier Soccer League, lucrative as it is, is among the top 10 leagues in Africa.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos